Relationships of subalpine forest fires in the Colorado Front Range with interannual and multidecadal‐scale climatic variation

Aim An understanding of past relationships between fire occurrence and climate variability will help to elucidate the implications of climate‐change scenarios for future patterns of wildfire. In the present study we investigate the relationships between subalpine‐zone fire occurrence and climate variability and broad‐scale climate patterns in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans at both interannual and multidecadal time‐scales. Location The study area is the subalpine zone of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) in the southern sector of the Rocky Mountain National Park, which straddles the continental divide of the northern Colorado Front Range. Methods We compared years of widespread fire from AD 1650 to 1978 for the subalpine zone of southern Rocky Mountain National Park, with climate variables such as measures of drought, and indices such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Results Years of extensive subalpine‐zone fires are significantly related to climate variability, phases of ENSO, the PDO, and the AMO, as well as to phase combinations of ENSO, the PDO, and the AMO at both interannual and centennial time‐scales. Main conclusions Years of extensive fires are related to extreme drought conditions and are significantly related to the La Niña phase of ENSO, the negative (cool) phase of the PDO, and the positive (warm) phase of the AMO. The co‐occurrence of the phase combination of La Niña‐negative PDO‐positive AMO is more important to fire occurrence than the individual influences of the climate patterns. Low‐frequency trends in the occurrence of this combination of climate‐pattern phases, resulting from trends in the AMO, are the primary climate pattern associated with periods of high fire occurrence (1700–89 and 1851–1919) and a fire‐free period (1790–1850). The apparent controlling influence of the AMO on drought and years of large fires in the subalpine forests of the Colorado Front Range probably applies to an extensive area of western North America.     

八种红树植物幼苗的叶片可溶性蛋白和抗氧化酶活性对光强的响应

红树林湿地生态系统的恢复与重建是我国南方海岸带生态恢复研究的重点领域之一。为明确红树植物光适应的生理生态策略，该文选取无瓣海桑(Sonneratia apetala)、秋茄(Kandelia obovata)、木榄(Bruguiera gymnorhiza)、桐花树(Aegiceras corniculatum)、老鼠簕(Acanthus ilicifolius)、卤蕨(Acrostichum aureum)、银叶树(Heritiera littoralis)和黄槿(Hibiscus tiliaceus)作为研究对象，通过遮荫控制试验，探究这8种红树植物一年生幼苗在不同光照强度(自然光强的100%、45%、30%、10%)处理下的叶片可溶性蛋白含量和抗氧化酶活性的响应特征。结果表明：(1)随光照强度下降，木榄、老鼠簕和卤蕨的叶片可溶性蛋白含量受到的影响较小，而无瓣海桑、秋茄、桐花树、银叶树和黄槿的叶片可溶性蛋白含量则表现出下降趋势。(2)木榄、老鼠簕和卤蕨的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)等抗氧化酶活性在10%光照强度处理下的活性与对照无显著差异，而无瓣海桑、秋茄...     

海南东寨港两种红树植物旱季和雨季的光合生理特征比较

植物光合生理生态特性是退化植物群落恢复、重建植物种选择的重要依据。为研究不同红树植物光合生理生态特性，该研究于2021年旱季的4—5月、雨季的7—9月利用LI-6400光合仪，测定红树植物秋茄和海莲的光合生理参数和主要生态因子，并采用通径分析方法分析主要生态因子对净光合速率的影响。结果表明：(1)秋茄旱季净光合速率日均值(8.43μmol^-2·s^-1)略低于雨季(8.67μmol^-2·s^-1),差异不显著；海莲旱季净光合速率日均值(7.03μmol^-2·s^-1)显著低于雨季(9.41μmol^-2·s^-1);旱季秋茄净光合速率日均值显著高于海莲，而雨季秋茄净光合速率日均值显著低于海莲。(2)旱季、雨季秋茄蒸腾速率、气孔导度、胞间CO₂浓度等光合生理因子日均值变化幅度小于海莲，水分利用效率也低于海莲。(3)旱季、雨季两种红树植物均存在“光合午休”现象。旱季，秋茄属于非气孔限制，而海莲属于气孔限制...     

Mate-locating behaviour, habitat-use, and flight morphology relative to rainforest disturbance in an Afrotropical butterfly

To cope with environmental constraints, organisms can show variation in phenotype, either by genetic adaptation or phenotypic plasticity. These patterns are especially pronounced in ecosystems that are under anthropogenic influence. Due to human-induced disturbances such as logging and deforestation, tropical forests comprise such a system. To date, most studies have dealt with ecological responses at the community level relative to forest disturbance or degradation. However, the evolutionary consequences of tropical forest deterioration on behaviour and functional morphology have received far less attention compared to temporal regions. From a resource-point of view, light conditions are essential for heliotherms such as butterflies. Because degradation of tropical cloud forests in the Taita Hills (Kenya) is very pronounced, the present study tested whether this induced changes in mate-location strategies, habitat-use, and functional flight morphology in a forest butterfly, Salamis parhassus. According to predictions from temperate regions, it was hypothesized that the species would change its mate location strategy from perching to patrolling in more disturbed forests, that this higher mobility results in a faster occupancy of light gaps, and that it accords with a higher wing loading within populations from undisturbed forests. These hypotheses were confirmed by field surveys and experiments. The present study demonstrates that degradation of tropical forests does not only affect communities (e.g. species richness), but also the behaviour and functional morphology of individual species.  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 96 , 830–839.     

Ecological research for development

Uganda is rich in aquatic ecosystems. Commercial fishing involves an off‐take that may not be ultimately sustainable. Aquatic ecosystems, like the forests, are under pressure. Forests, for many years to come, will remain the main source of energy for the people. They also continue to be cleared to make way for agricultural use of the land. Research for development must address problems of this kind as they are at the heart of the development process.     

Variation in the population structure between a natural and a human‐modified forest for a pioneer tropical tree species not restricted to large gaps

The distribution of tree species in tropical forests is generally related to the occurrence of disturbances and shifts in the local environmental conditions such as light, temperature, and biotic factors. Thus, the distribution of pioneer tree species is expected to vary according to the gap characteristics and with human disturbances. We asked whether there was variation in the distribution of a pioneer species under different environmental conditions generated by natural disturbances, and between two forests with contrasting levels of human disturbance. To answer this question, we studied the distribution patterns and population persistence of the pioneer tree species Croton floribundus in the size and age gap range of a primary Brazilian forest. Additionally, we compared the plant density of two size‐classes between a primary and an early successional human‐disturbed forest. Croton floribundus was found to be widespread and equally distributed along the gap‐size gradient in the primary forest. Overall density did not vary with gap size or age (F‐ratio = 0.062, P = 0.941), and while juveniles were found to have a higher density in the early successional forest (P = 0.021), tree density was found to be similar between forests (P = 0.058). Our results indicate that the population structure of a pioneer tree species with long life span and a broad gap‐size niche preference varied between natural and human‐disturbed forests, but not with the level of natural disturbance. We believe this can be explained by the extreme environmental changes that occur after human disturbance. The ecological processes that affect the distribution of pioneer species in natural and human‐modified forests may be similar, but our results suggest they act differently under the contrasting environmental conditions generated by natural and human disturbances.     

Vegetation succession among and within structural layers following wildfire in managed forests

Question: How does vegetation develop during the initial period following severe wildfire in managed forests? Location: Southwestern Oregon, USA. Methods: In severely burned plantations, dynamics of (1) shrub, herbaceous, and cryptogam richness; (2) cover; (3) topographic, overstory, and site influences were characterized on two contrasting aspects 2 to 4 years following fire. Analysis of variance was used to examine change in structural layer richness and cover over time. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling, multi‐response permutation procedure, and indicator species analysis were used to evaluate changes in community composition over time. Results: Vegetation established rapidly following wildfire in burned plantations, following an initial floristics model of succession among structural layers. Succession within structural layers followed a combination of initial and relay floristic models. Succession occurred simultaneously within and among structural layers following wildfire, but at different rates and with different drivers. Stochastic (fire severity and site history) and deterministic (species life history traits, topography, and pre‐disturbance plant community) factors determined starting points of succession. Multiple successional trajectories were evident in early succession. Conclusions: Mixed conifer forests are resilient to interacting effects of natural and human‐caused disturbances. Predicting the development of vegetation communities following disturbances requires an understanding of the various successional components, such as succession among and within structural layers, and the fire regime. Succession among and within structural layers can follow different successional models and trajectories, occurs at different rates, and is affected by multiple interacting factors.     

Changes in woody vegetation abundance and diversity after natural disturbances causing different levels of mortality

Questions: How does woody vegetation abundance and diversity differ after natural disturbances causing different levels of mortality? Location: Abies balsamea–Betula papyrifera boreal mixed‐wood stands of southeast Quebec, Canada. Methods: Woody vegetation abundance and diversity were quantified and compared among three disturbance‐caused mortality classes, canopy gap, moderate‐severity disturbances, and catastrophic fire, using redundancy analysis, a constrained linear ordination technique, and diversity indices. Results: Substantial changes in canopy tree species abundance and diversity only occurred after catastrophic fire. Shade‐tolerant, late‐successional conifer species remained dominant after canopy gap and moderate‐severity disturbances, whereas shade‐intolerant, early‐successional colonizers dominated canopy tree regeneration after catastrophic fire. Density and diversity of mid‐tolerant and shade‐intolerant understory tree and shrub species increased as the impact of disturbance increased. Highest species richness estimates were observed after catastrophic fire, with several species establishing exclusively under these conditions. Relative abundance of canopy tree regeneration was most similar after canopy gap and moderate‐severity disturbances. For the sub‐canopy tree and shrub community, relative species abundances were most similar after moderate‐severity disturbances and catastrophic fire. Vegetation responses to moderate‐severity disturbances thus had commonalities with both extremes of the disturbance‐caused mortality gradient, but for different regeneration layers. Conclusions: Current spatio‐temporal parameters of natural disturbances causing varying degrees of mortality promote the development of a complex, multi‐cohort forest condition throughout the landscape. The projected increase in time intervals between catastrophic fires may lead to reduced diversity within the system.     

Phenolic compounds and their anti-oxidative properties and protein kinase inhibition from the Chinese mangrove plant Laguncularia racemosa

Phenolic compounds, named integracin D (1), (7′R, 8′S, 8S)-8-hydroxyisoguaiacin (3), (2R, 3R) pinobanksin-3-caffeoylate (5) and threo-8S-7-methoxysyringylglycerol (6), respectively, were isolated from the Chinese mangrove plant Laguncularia racemosa (L) Gaertn. f. (Combretaceae), together with 23 known phenolic metabolites. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses including that of IR, UV, MS, CD, 1D and 2D NMR spectra as well as by comparison with literature data. Compound 5 showed significant anti-oxidative activity in the DPPH and TEAC free-radical-scavenging assays, while several of the phenolic compounds were tested for protein kinase inhibitory activity in an assay involving 24 different human tumor related protein kinases. Compounds 5, 7, and 23 showed potential inhibition with IC₅₀ values between 2.2 and 3.6 μg/mL toward individual kinases. The ellagic acid derivatives were tested for insecticidal activity.